Cobra: Legend or Advertizing Gimmick
11-07-2008, 08:08 AM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Cobra: Legend or Advertizing Gimmick
Growing up down the road from one of the few authorized Cobra dealers in New York I can honestly say I have seen the real thing. Not a plastic kit car, or one that is built on a frame of a Mustang two but the real deal. Problem is I can only honestly say I saw only ONE. And that one car was on the showroom floor roped off so on one could touch, get near or dare sit inside it. It eventually was bought by someone and Im sure if it still exists today is worth its weight in gold to a collector somewhere. But while reading Andrew Montgomerys "Corvette" The definitive guide to the all American sports car" he makes a statement about SCCA racing Production class which the Cobra fell in, claiming "As if the Cobra was ever a production car". I think his observation is correct, and that the Cobra should of been in a different class. With sales in its four year run being under 1,000 cars (if my facts are correct from standard catalog of American cars) should Ford even been allowed to compete with the Corvette in SCCA racing ?The Corvette was then and still is today a everyday drivers car.Most Ford enthusiasts love to drive Corvette owners crazy stating quarter mile drag times even mocking guys from the Mpoar crowd along with the rest of the GM enthusiasts about the little snake. Some Muscle car magazines call it the king of all muscle cars, yet most will have to admit back in the days when these cars were new no one really ever saw one on the street let alone on a drag strip.Priced about $2,000 more than a Corvette no one can deny Shelby gave the Corvette its lumps on the track. But in reality was this really a production car or a custom made car put together by Ford and AC to sell Mustangs and other Ford performance products?
11-07-2008, 08:19 AM
#2
Advanced
Cobra Fact
I lived in Dallas from 1964 to 1966. I drove a 1965 H.P. Mustang and autocrossed it regularly. Not only did the Downtown Dallas Ford dealer have a cobra on the show room floor, I had a chance to ride in a street driven 289 cobra belonging to a member of the Oak Cliff Sports Car Club. I later had an opportunity to buy a slightly used one for $6000 from a guy who stated it was not practical as an only car. It would not have worked for me either and even at $6000 was pretty pricey for a young Air Force Lt. In retrospect what a deal for someone who could afford it.
Dave
Dave
11-07-2008, 09:01 AM
#3
Race Director
Member Since: Feb 2007
Location: northern california
Posts: 13,611
Received 6,528 Likes
on
3,003 Posts
C2 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
But while reading Andrew Montgomerys "Corvette" The definitive guide to the all American sports car" he makes a statement about SCCA racing Production class which the Cobra fell in, claiming "As if the Cobra was ever a production car". I think his observation is correct, and that the Cobra should of been in a different class. With sales in its four year run being under 1,000 cars (if my facts are correct from standard catalog of American cars).....
In the case of the Grand Sports, had as many as 125 been produced, the oft quoted number that was Duntov's goal, then it would have been able to compete in production classes. You might have even seen the rare Grand Sport on a public street.
So if Shelby built 8X as many Cobras, then, that's good enough for me.
Jim
11-07-2008, 09:37 AM
#4
Melting Slicks
Carrol's Cobras were back then and still stands as a Mirage to this day. Our Corvettes were, are and will be the envy of any and all performance production car manufacturers. Period! Al W.
11-07-2008, 10:25 AM
#6
Race Director
Member Since: Mar 2001
Location: Mustang OK
Posts: 13,852
Received 3,772 Likes
on
1,674 Posts
2023 C1 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2015 C1 of the Year Finalist
I cannot, and will not attempt to, answer any of the questions. But, whether its a gennie 289 or 427 Cobra, or one of today's better quality replicas, they were, are, and most likely will continue to be an awsome car----------------------regardless of however you want to class it. A good friend of mine has one of the better designed/quality replicas with a very healthy 460 Ford engine in it. It is an incredibly vicious car!
I'd be more than happy to park one next to the 56, or the 70 Chevelle or the Cutlass or the 51 any day! Ya, and I'd drive it too!
And the personalized tag might say something like CHVEATR.
I'd be more than happy to park one next to the 56, or the 70 Chevelle or the Cutlass or the 51 any day! Ya, and I'd drive it too!
And the personalized tag might say something like CHVEATR.
11-07-2008, 11:22 AM
#7
Team Owner
Shelby upstaged the GM folks on more than one occasion; in a documentary I saw it was stated that he quickly jumped on the "King of the Road" name for a class of Shelbys because he heard the Corvette designers were considering that name....hadn't heard that one before..
11-07-2008, 11:24 AM
#8
Instructor
Member Since: Feb 2007
Location: Dubai/Jackson Hole
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I cannot, and will not attempt to, answer any of the questions. But, whether its a gennie 289 or 427 Cobra, or one of today's better quality replicas, they were, are, and most likely will continue to be an awsome car----------------------regardless of however you want to class it. A good friend of mine has one of the better designed/quality replicas with a very healthy 460 Ford engine in it. It is an incredibly vicious car!
I'd be more than happy to park one next to the 56, or the 70 Chevelle or the Cutlass or the 51 any day! Ya, and I'd drive it too!
And the personalized tag might say something like CHVEATR.
I'd be more than happy to park one next to the 56, or the 70 Chevelle or the Cutlass or the 51 any day! Ya, and I'd drive it too!
And the personalized tag might say something like CHVEATR.
If you want to limit yourself to corvettes or GM in general, great. I personally just don't get it. I can appreciate ingenuity, design and performance regardless of where it comes from.
Personally, I would love to have a Cobra. Replica or not.
Darin
11-07-2008, 11:39 AM
#9
Shelby took his Anglo-American hybrid plan to GM first, and they understandably turned him down.
In 1962 you only had to build 100 examples for SCCA to recognize your car as production. Rules were bent for some, witness Ferrari's 36 GTOs.
The Grand Sport was a fine idea for Le Mans, taking on the best in the world. But for domestic amateur sports car racing, Chevy could have gotten its money's worth for peanuts by backing Bill Thomas in building 100 Cheetahs. With some Tech Center massaging of the suspension, there would have been a Chevy/Ford battle bigger than the Trans Am a few years later. Who knows, Sting Rays might have started sporting cast aluminum "Cheetah" valve covers.
When I drove my C2 to college from 1967-72, there was a student with a 289 Cobra, and another with a '64 E-type Jag I couldn't catch on tight, curvy roads. And I once saw a Cheetah in traffic in Santa Ana. They were rare, but hardly mirages.
If you talk to most Cobra owners, they'll tell you it's a fair-weather car only. Far less comfortable than a '53 Corvette with side curtains. The Sting Ray was, and remains, a better dual-purpose choice.
The sales figures tell the story.
In 1962 you only had to build 100 examples for SCCA to recognize your car as production. Rules were bent for some, witness Ferrari's 36 GTOs.
The Grand Sport was a fine idea for Le Mans, taking on the best in the world. But for domestic amateur sports car racing, Chevy could have gotten its money's worth for peanuts by backing Bill Thomas in building 100 Cheetahs. With some Tech Center massaging of the suspension, there would have been a Chevy/Ford battle bigger than the Trans Am a few years later. Who knows, Sting Rays might have started sporting cast aluminum "Cheetah" valve covers.
When I drove my C2 to college from 1967-72, there was a student with a 289 Cobra, and another with a '64 E-type Jag I couldn't catch on tight, curvy roads. And I once saw a Cheetah in traffic in Santa Ana. They were rare, but hardly mirages.
If you talk to most Cobra owners, they'll tell you it's a fair-weather car only. Far less comfortable than a '53 Corvette with side curtains. The Sting Ray was, and remains, a better dual-purpose choice.
The sales figures tell the story.
11-07-2008, 12:42 PM
#10
Pro
Member Since: May 2004
Location: CA
Posts: 669
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Having owned a 1964 AC Cobra I may be able to answer some questions.
All original Cobras had their vin number begin with CSX----, I owned CSX2297. "Carroll Shelby Experimental". I had been autocrossing my '60 full comp. Corvette and usually winning my class. Southern California sportscar clubs placed the Cobras in the same class as the Corvettes. I never could beat a Cobra with my car. As the old saying goes "if you can't beat em, join em". So, I sold the '60.
The 289 model had 270 Hp, but an aluminim manifold and Holly carb. got you up to 300HP. You could get 3 dual throat Webers and some tuning and get 370HP also. My car weighed 2100 lbs against my '60 Vette that weighed about 3200 lbs. The Cobra wheelbase was 90", the Vette 102". Weight distribution was '60- 52/48% F/R, 289- 49/51% F/R, and independent rear suspension for the 289. Add that up and the Vette was no match for a Cobra, drag, autocross, or racing. The suspension was transleaf at both ends, Corvette got theirs in 1984.
The new price at the factory was $5995.00. I bought mine from Carroll Shelby's retail showroom in L.A. for $4500.00. It had about 11,000 miles on the clock.
Driving a Cobra was, to say the least, primitive! It rode like a 1 ton truck, the top was a multipiece thing that, on a good day, took 5 to 10 minutes to put up. No roll up windows, only leaky side curtains. No factory radio, and a lousy heater/defroster. The cockpit was cramped. I am 6'1" and it was tight for me. You sat "on" it as you did in the 53-57 Vettes. I had to hunker down to see under the windshield. The clutch needed a LOT of pressure, and it was very tiring to drive in traffic. The cockpit got hot on warm days as the firewall let engine heat right in. Remember it was a mid 50's AC Ace design.
But it was a blast to drive. The acceleration was awesome, the handling was weird to see as the front wheel leaned into a turn the exact opposite that they were supposed to go. But it worked. It was very predictible and really worked on an autocross course.
I bought in April 1965 and sold it in the fall of 1967.I sold it for $4500.00, the same price I paid for it. Boy, that was the best deal I ever made selling a used car! What are they worth now, $250-500,00 for the 289? Oh well!
All original Cobras had their vin number begin with CSX----, I owned CSX2297. "Carroll Shelby Experimental". I had been autocrossing my '60 full comp. Corvette and usually winning my class. Southern California sportscar clubs placed the Cobras in the same class as the Corvettes. I never could beat a Cobra with my car. As the old saying goes "if you can't beat em, join em". So, I sold the '60.
The 289 model had 270 Hp, but an aluminim manifold and Holly carb. got you up to 300HP. You could get 3 dual throat Webers and some tuning and get 370HP also. My car weighed 2100 lbs against my '60 Vette that weighed about 3200 lbs. The Cobra wheelbase was 90", the Vette 102". Weight distribution was '60- 52/48% F/R, 289- 49/51% F/R, and independent rear suspension for the 289. Add that up and the Vette was no match for a Cobra, drag, autocross, or racing. The suspension was transleaf at both ends, Corvette got theirs in 1984.
The new price at the factory was $5995.00. I bought mine from Carroll Shelby's retail showroom in L.A. for $4500.00. It had about 11,000 miles on the clock.
Driving a Cobra was, to say the least, primitive! It rode like a 1 ton truck, the top was a multipiece thing that, on a good day, took 5 to 10 minutes to put up. No roll up windows, only leaky side curtains. No factory radio, and a lousy heater/defroster. The cockpit was cramped. I am 6'1" and it was tight for me. You sat "on" it as you did in the 53-57 Vettes. I had to hunker down to see under the windshield. The clutch needed a LOT of pressure, and it was very tiring to drive in traffic. The cockpit got hot on warm days as the firewall let engine heat right in. Remember it was a mid 50's AC Ace design.
But it was a blast to drive. The acceleration was awesome, the handling was weird to see as the front wheel leaned into a turn the exact opposite that they were supposed to go. But it worked. It was very predictible and really worked on an autocross course.
I bought in April 1965 and sold it in the fall of 1967.I sold it for $4500.00, the same price I paid for it. Boy, that was the best deal I ever made selling a used car! What are they worth now, $250-500,00 for the 289? Oh well!
11-07-2008, 12:53 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Sep 2008
Location: Lake Minnetonka, Mn
Posts: 5,071
Received 1,728 Likes
on
810 Posts
2018 C1 of Year Finalist
I am not sure of the question but someone asked if a person with first hand knowledge of the Cobra would weigh in and I guess I might be that person. I own a Shelby Cobra, CSX 2189, which was owned by Bob Johnson of Columbus, Ohio. This car, with Johnson at the helm, won the National SCCA Championship in A/P in 1964 competing against Corvettes as well as other Cobras. BJ was a well known Corvette driver before and after his experience with the Cobra. He also drove for Jim Hall in the Chaparral 2D.
The Shelby Cobra dominated SCCA and USRRC racing (while it lasted) for the entire decade of the sixties. The last time the Corvette prevailed in SCCA racing was 1962. Shelby's Cobras also competed in Europe and won the coveted World Manufacturer's Cup by beating Ferrari in 1965. After that it was on to Le Mans with the Ford GT with wins in '66 & '67.
On the drag strip, the Cobra dominated in AA/SP, A/SP, B/SP and C/SP production. The most famous of the Cobra drag cars was the Costilow/Larson "DragonSnake" which held numerous National Records. After Larson, Ed Hedrick dorve the Larson car to many National wins in 1967. He was a business partner of Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins and Jere Stahl of exhaust header fame and was one of the founders of Moroso products. At Bonneville, A Factory Cobra Daytona Coupe set over 20 records in its class in 1965. This car was sent to Bonneville as an afterthought by one of the Team mechanics, Tom Greatorex.
Keep in mind that these were ALL 289 cars, and with the exception of the Harr Ford 427 DragonSnake, which held National records in AA/SP, the 289 cars are what made the Shelby Cobra a household name. The 427 cars, despite their hype and brutal straight line acceleration, never competed in a FIA event or in international racing by the Factory. The work and fame was shouldered by the 289 cars.
The outstanding racing achievements of the Cobra is what dictates their extreme values in the collectible market(s). Daytona Coupes sell in excess of $13 million, and the Ferrari GTO is probably the only car to garner a higher price than the Daytona. Competition cars with an excellent provenance bring $1.5 to $3.5 million. Street cars (289) are around $500,000.
Whether these are true production cars is a moot point. History has judged them a one of the most successful racing marques. They were not created from scratch like the Corvette SS. The AC body and suspension had been around since the early 50s. The front end, which consisted of a transverse leaf spring, was "stone age" compared to the Corvette's independent front suspension. There was nothing, technologically, novel about them. They had a great engine with the 289 and the Factory had a team of incredibly talented racing engineers that made the cars go like "stink". The one variable that made them a Corvette killer was weight. My car weighs in at 2,100 lbs-- 1,000 lbs. lighter than a production Corvette. That makes for a tremendous advantage in hp/weight. The car also came with disc brakes and an independent rear suspension.
I have always been a Corvette person but one has to acknowledge the tremendous contribution of the Cobra. Why anyone would have purchased a Cobra over a Corvette as a street car still puzzles me, especially if you lived in a northern climate. The Cobra ran around $6,000 as opposed to $4,500 for a basic Corvette. No roll up windows or hardtop. For anyone who has ever sat in one, they were pretty crude. The heater was tantamount to having a mouse pant on your feet and the cars leaked like a sieve during a rain. Perhaps, that is why the total production over five years was around 1,000 units. But on the race track, they did go like hell.
Hope this helps.
DH
The Shelby Cobra dominated SCCA and USRRC racing (while it lasted) for the entire decade of the sixties. The last time the Corvette prevailed in SCCA racing was 1962. Shelby's Cobras also competed in Europe and won the coveted World Manufacturer's Cup by beating Ferrari in 1965. After that it was on to Le Mans with the Ford GT with wins in '66 & '67.
On the drag strip, the Cobra dominated in AA/SP, A/SP, B/SP and C/SP production. The most famous of the Cobra drag cars was the Costilow/Larson "DragonSnake" which held numerous National Records. After Larson, Ed Hedrick dorve the Larson car to many National wins in 1967. He was a business partner of Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins and Jere Stahl of exhaust header fame and was one of the founders of Moroso products. At Bonneville, A Factory Cobra Daytona Coupe set over 20 records in its class in 1965. This car was sent to Bonneville as an afterthought by one of the Team mechanics, Tom Greatorex.
Keep in mind that these were ALL 289 cars, and with the exception of the Harr Ford 427 DragonSnake, which held National records in AA/SP, the 289 cars are what made the Shelby Cobra a household name. The 427 cars, despite their hype and brutal straight line acceleration, never competed in a FIA event or in international racing by the Factory. The work and fame was shouldered by the 289 cars.
The outstanding racing achievements of the Cobra is what dictates their extreme values in the collectible market(s). Daytona Coupes sell in excess of $13 million, and the Ferrari GTO is probably the only car to garner a higher price than the Daytona. Competition cars with an excellent provenance bring $1.5 to $3.5 million. Street cars (289) are around $500,000.
Whether these are true production cars is a moot point. History has judged them a one of the most successful racing marques. They were not created from scratch like the Corvette SS. The AC body and suspension had been around since the early 50s. The front end, which consisted of a transverse leaf spring, was "stone age" compared to the Corvette's independent front suspension. There was nothing, technologically, novel about them. They had a great engine with the 289 and the Factory had a team of incredibly talented racing engineers that made the cars go like "stink". The one variable that made them a Corvette killer was weight. My car weighs in at 2,100 lbs-- 1,000 lbs. lighter than a production Corvette. That makes for a tremendous advantage in hp/weight. The car also came with disc brakes and an independent rear suspension.
I have always been a Corvette person but one has to acknowledge the tremendous contribution of the Cobra. Why anyone would have purchased a Cobra over a Corvette as a street car still puzzles me, especially if you lived in a northern climate. The Cobra ran around $6,000 as opposed to $4,500 for a basic Corvette. No roll up windows or hardtop. For anyone who has ever sat in one, they were pretty crude. The heater was tantamount to having a mouse pant on your feet and the cars leaked like a sieve during a rain. Perhaps, that is why the total production over five years was around 1,000 units. But on the race track, they did go like hell.
Hope this helps.
DH
Last edited by Dan Hampton; 11-07-2008 at 05:10 PM.
11-07-2008, 01:00 PM
#12
Le Mans Master
IMO the performance of the 427 Cobra was ahead of its time and I would be proud to own just one of the outstanding replicas available today......... and I would even allow a ford motor to be in it 
But IMO a production car in America meant back then just as it does today that you can go to any one of multitude of factory dealers and order one...... just like you can order a Z06 or ZR1
Cars that were only available at specialized chosen outlets were not factory production cars........ and when the Shelby finally became just another package option for mustangs the comparable equipped (big blocks versus big blocks and small versus small) vettes blew their doors off ....... and rather soundly.
Doug
But IMO a production car in America meant back then just as it does today that you can go to any one of multitude of factory dealers and order one...... just like you can order a Z06 or ZR1
Cars that were only available at specialized chosen outlets were not factory production cars........ and when the Shelby finally became just another package option for mustangs the comparable equipped (big blocks versus big blocks and small versus small) vettes blew their doors off ....... and rather soundly.
Doug
11-07-2008, 01:15 PM
#13
Race Director
Member Since: Mar 2001
Location: Mustang OK
Posts: 13,852
Received 3,772 Likes
on
1,674 Posts
2023 C1 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2015 C1 of the Year Finalist
Darin touched on the issue of appreciation for other makes of cars.
Several models of other auto manufacturers have made their place in many peoples' hearts. Some of them just have something special about them that is timeless. Also, some of them have been ideal platforms for modifications or upgrades into truely desireable cars.
The very first car that comes to mind is the 32 Ford--------------IN ANY BODY STYLE! A Vicky, a sedan, a roadster, a 3-window, a 5-window, rumble seat, whatever. Maybe not everyone will recognize the distinctive lines of a 32 Ford as being a 32 model, but everyone will immediately recognize it as the classic form of a Hotrod (some now call these kinds of cars Streetrods, not me). Or, how about a 40 Ford coupe or convertible (with either a beefed up flatty or a SB Chevy)? I've NEVER met anyone who disliked that body (my wife would be real pleased if I'd trade the 56 for a 40 Ford conv!!!! Ain't hapnin!).
And, name me one person that wouldn't allow a gennie mid-60s (real) HEMI car parked next to their Vette!
Vettes are great, I love 'um! But they ain't the only fish in the sea!
Several models of other auto manufacturers have made their place in many peoples' hearts. Some of them just have something special about them that is timeless. Also, some of them have been ideal platforms for modifications or upgrades into truely desireable cars.
The very first car that comes to mind is the 32 Ford--------------IN ANY BODY STYLE! A Vicky, a sedan, a roadster, a 3-window, a 5-window, rumble seat, whatever. Maybe not everyone will recognize the distinctive lines of a 32 Ford as being a 32 model, but everyone will immediately recognize it as the classic form of a Hotrod (some now call these kinds of cars Streetrods, not me). Or, how about a 40 Ford coupe or convertible (with either a beefed up flatty or a SB Chevy)? I've NEVER met anyone who disliked that body (my wife would be real pleased if I'd trade the 56 for a 40 Ford conv!!!! Ain't hapnin!).
And, name me one person that wouldn't allow a gennie mid-60s (real) HEMI car parked next to their Vette!
Vettes are great, I love 'um! But they ain't the only fish in the sea!
11-07-2008, 01:48 PM
#14
Race Director
In Hollywood back in the 60s and 70s I saw the occasional street-driven Cobra. An acquaintance had a 289 he drove in town a lot. Last year at the Monterey Historic Races, an older couple drove in and parked in the dirt like that rest of us, in their actual one-owner, pastel green 289. So those beasts were and are out there.
I passed on buying a 289 in 1971 because the seller wanted $4,000 and nobody would give me over $2,000 for my 67 Vette coupe.Besides, it didn't have a heater or radio....
I passed on buying a 289 in 1971 because the seller wanted $4,000 and nobody would give me over $2,000 for my 67 Vette coupe.
Besides, it didn't have a heater or radio....
11-07-2008, 01:53 PM
#15
Melting Slicks
I think it is amazing that we actually have real Shelby owners and former owners here. Really cool to have that input.
Dan, any chance you played for the Bears? If so that was probably the greatest football team ever and certainly some of my favorite Bears memories.
Dan, any chance you played for the Bears? If so that was probably the greatest football team ever and certainly some of my favorite Bears memories.
11-07-2008, 03:28 PM
#16
Racer
Member Since: Oct 2008
Location: Jonesborough TN
Posts: 447
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OK, here's my put on the Corvette/Cobra discussion. I've had both (no the Cobra wasn't original it was a replica that I built). The Cobra compares closely with the '64, '66 Vette roadsters that I had. All were a blast to drive on the street and in an autocross too. All were small block 300 or so hp with manual trans, all were excellent performers.
BTW - I wrote a book on the Cobra build and it is available on www.MAGDANA.com. Check it out if you are interested.
To compare the Cobra to my '81, '91 or '92 Vette is "apples to oranges" Even the '65 coupe was quite civilized compared to the roadsters. It was quiet enough inside to enjoy the stereo, didn't leak and had heat in the winter. The newer Vettes are so refined and well engineered that they outclass anything out there - IMO.
Here is my view of the basic difference: GM brings out a new Corvette every year. Improvements/refinements/styling changes are all "better" than the previous year. The Cobra was a one (or two) time version. The recent attempts to bring out a "new" Cobra to compete with the Corvette have been interesting but barely successful if at all.
To build a really nice Cobra replica will set you back $40 to $60 depending on the running gear and paint. To buy a Corvette, well you all know what that takes...
Put one side by side and each will have its own group of enthusiasts.
Joe Johnson
jj@magdana.com
BTW - I wrote a book on the Cobra build and it is available on www.MAGDANA.com. Check it out if you are interested.
To compare the Cobra to my '81, '91 or '92 Vette is "apples to oranges" Even the '65 coupe was quite civilized compared to the roadsters. It was quiet enough inside to enjoy the stereo, didn't leak and had heat in the winter. The newer Vettes are so refined and well engineered that they outclass anything out there - IMO.
Here is my view of the basic difference: GM brings out a new Corvette every year. Improvements/refinements/styling changes are all "better" than the previous year. The Cobra was a one (or two) time version. The recent attempts to bring out a "new" Cobra to compete with the Corvette have been interesting but barely successful if at all.
To build a really nice Cobra replica will set you back $40 to $60 depending on the running gear and paint. To buy a Corvette, well you all know what that takes...
Put one side by side and each will have its own group of enthusiasts.
Joe Johnson
jj@magdana.com
11-07-2008, 04:12 PM
#17
Racer
Member Since: Jun 2003
Location: Torrington Ct
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
11-07-2008, 05:26 PM
#18
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Sep 2008
Location: Lake Minnetonka, Mn
Posts: 5,071
Received 1,728 Likes
on
810 Posts
2018 C1 of Year Finalist
To answer someone's question about whether or not the Cobra was sold exclusively through the Factory while the Corvette employed a dealer network to distribute their cars, let me fill you in. Cobras could and were sold through Ford dealers. I worked on a project that makes that quite apparent. Although Shelby liked to leave the impression that the dealer had to be unique (read: performance) any Ford dealer could market the Cobra. The only restriction is that they couldn't be within 50 miles of one another.
Because of the incredibly high cost of the car, most of the dealers were primarily on the West and East Coast. Coventry, Burton, Culver, Harr, Gotham were the names of a few of the larger ones. The midwest had much smaller numbers but they did exist.
The idea back then of "showrooming" a car that had very little demand made little economic sense. In some of my data, it is apparent that some of these cars sat for as long as twelve months before being traded to another dealer (sometime as many as four dealers) before it was sold. It was a lot of money to tie up when you could buy three fast moving Mustangs for the same price. From a consumer point of view, the car was a flop. Had Ford not been subsidizing the operation, it would have died a quick death on the retail level.
BTW, CSX, which is the prefix to the production number sequence does not stand for Carroll Shelby Experimental: rather, the creation of the system of serial numbers goes back to AC cars. In '54, the AC Ace had used the designation AEX followed by their numbering system. When they switched to the Bristol engine, the designation became BEX. When Shelby started importing their cars the lettering became CSX, the letter C being part of the A though B series. The S does stand for Shelby, but the X stands for export, which meant that all cars with that letter were left-hand drive.
Someone mentioned that the hi-po option came with three dual throat carbs. In fact, there were four carburetors (Weber 48mm IDA downdrafts). The advertised rating was 385 hp but the Factory cars could attain 400-420 hp with some head modifications.
Because of the incredibly high cost of the car, most of the dealers were primarily on the West and East Coast. Coventry, Burton, Culver, Harr, Gotham were the names of a few of the larger ones. The midwest had much smaller numbers but they did exist.
The idea back then of "showrooming" a car that had very little demand made little economic sense. In some of my data, it is apparent that some of these cars sat for as long as twelve months before being traded to another dealer (sometime as many as four dealers) before it was sold. It was a lot of money to tie up when you could buy three fast moving Mustangs for the same price. From a consumer point of view, the car was a flop. Had Ford not been subsidizing the operation, it would have died a quick death on the retail level.
BTW, CSX, which is the prefix to the production number sequence does not stand for Carroll Shelby Experimental: rather, the creation of the system of serial numbers goes back to AC cars. In '54, the AC Ace had used the designation AEX followed by their numbering system. When they switched to the Bristol engine, the designation became BEX. When Shelby started importing their cars the lettering became CSX, the letter C being part of the A though B series. The S does stand for Shelby, but the X stands for export, which meant that all cars with that letter were left-hand drive.
Someone mentioned that the hi-po option came with three dual throat carbs. In fact, there were four carburetors (Weber 48mm IDA downdrafts). The advertised rating was 385 hp but the Factory cars could attain 400-420 hp with some head modifications.
Last edited by Dan Hampton; 11-07-2008 at 05:59 PM.
11-07-2008, 05:37 PM
#19
Race Director
I recall seeing Cobras at Ford dealers, though I don't know how they got there. However, there was at least one Shelby dealership, in west-central Los Angeles on (IIRC) La Brea around Olympic. I use to drive by regularly and drooled at the Cobras and Mustangs. Nothing around that's as drool-worthy today.
11-07-2008, 05:56 PM
#20
Drifting
In the spring of 1962 a young man picked up his new bright blue Cobra from the Ford dealer in small town Barrington, IL. I watched the salesman instruct the new owner on the features. I still remember watching him put up the top. It was a "kit" in the trunk that you had to assemble piece-by-piece. But...What a neat car!